As a kid, I remember my dad always being so excited to return home from vacations. My 8-year-old self loathed his enthusiasm, because another day at the beach seemed more fun than homework. He’d say, “be happy we’re going home, home is real.”

Indeed, home is real. The late nights working, the lengthy meetings, the long hours in traffic. The laundry, the grocery runs, the cluttered closets. The stresses, the sacrifices, the sense of the unknown. All of that is real.And reality is a privilege.

What a privilege it is to work, to dream, to build a life all your own. What a privilege it is to have a lengthy to-do list, an unkept house, a family who needs you. What a privilege it is to have a reality all your own — one that’s imperfect and messy and mundane.

Love your reality, no matter how good or bad it may feel. Choose to approach each day with enthusiasm, with gratitude, with patience. Build your life with purpose, with passion, with drive. And most importantly, learn to love your reality — because it’s yours.